# Pat Fitzmaurice: FantasyPros' Fitz lays out his 2026 draft strategy, fading early-round quarterbacks (Josh Allen) and Trey McBride, warning off Quinshon Judkins as a volume trap and Jerry Jeudy entirely, while touting middle-round QBs (Purdy, Herbert, Lawrence), tight ends (Kraft, Fannin, Pitts) and Packers WR Christian Watson as values. **Claimed:** Aug 30, 2026 **Pundit:** Pat Fitzmaurice — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/pat-fitzmaurice **Outlet:** FantasyPros — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/fantasypros **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.fantasypros.com/2026/08/fantasy-football-draft-advice-expert-strategy-for-2026/ 13 checkable claims — 8 sleeper calls and 5 fantasy bust calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 17 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. > Quinshon Judkins looks like a volume trap. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Harold Fannin Jr. to outplay his draft cost (around the sixth-round/seventh-round turn)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns - Verdict: not settled yet - **D'Andre Swift to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: D'Andre Swift, Chicago Bears - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kyle Pitts to outplay his draft cost (being drafted in the seventh round)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons - Verdict: not settled yet - **Trey McBride to fall short of his draft cost (the first four rounds)** - Kind: Fantasy Bust Calls · About: Trey McBride - Verdict: not settled yet - **Brock Purdy to outplay his draft cost (a late-eighth-round ADP)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Brock Purdy - Verdict: not settled yet - **Josh Allen to fall short of his draft cost (a late-third-round ADP)** - Kind: Fantasy Bust Calls · About: Josh Allen - Verdict: not settled yet - **Justin Herbert to outplay his draft cost (an ADP of QB9 and is going in the back half of the seventh round)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Justin Herbert - Verdict: not settled yet - **Quinshon Judkins to fall short of his draft cost (a midrange or low-end RB2)** - Kind: Fantasy Bust Calls · About: Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jerry Jeudy to fall short of his draft cost (the late rounds)** - Kind: Fantasy Bust Calls · About: Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns - Verdict: not settled yet - **Christian Watson to outplay his draft cost (the sixth round of 12-team drafts)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Trevor Lawrence to outplay his draft cost (an ADP of QB10 and is coming off the board around the seventh-round/eighth-round turn)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Trevor Lawrence - Verdict: not settled yet - **Samaje Perine to fall short of his draft cost** - Kind: Fantasy Bust Calls · About: Samaje Perine - Verdict: not settled yet - **Tucker Kraft to outplay his draft cost (a sixth-round ADP)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Harold Fannin Jr. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/harold-fannin-jr - Cleveland Browns — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/browns - D'Andre Swift — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/d-andre-swift - Chicago Bears — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/bears - Kyle Pitts — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/kyle-pitts - Atlanta Falcons — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/falcons - Trey McBride — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/trey-mcbride - Brock Purdy — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/brock-purdy - Josh Allen — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/josh-allen - Justin Herbert — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/justin-herbert - Quinshon Judkins — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/quinshon-judkins - Jerry Jeudy — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/jerry-jeudy - Christian Watson — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/christian-watson - Green Bay Packers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/packers - Trevor Lawrence — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/trevor-lawrence - Samaje Perine — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/samaje-perine - Tucker Kraft — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/tucker-kraft ## What others said about the same people - Ralph Vacchiano on Tua Tagovailoa: Vacchiano ranks all 32 NFL teams entering the 2026 season, with the Rams first and Dolphins last. He also flags the Giants as a potential surprise team with a top-10 defense, and notes Deshaun Watson won Cleveland's QB job while Tua Tagovailoa starts Week 1 in Atlanta. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/6f782be9-64d3-47cf-b054-6566e14194d6 (scored 0) - Steven Ruiz on Michael Penix Jr.: In a retrospective tiering of all 32 starting quarterbacks, Ruiz treats Michael Penix Jr. as the Falcons' Week 1 starter over Kirk Cousins, whom he places in his lowest tier. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/968b3764-11ef-41b5-a370-ff570b3219d1 (scored 0) - Mike Florio on Shedeur Sanders: Florio reports the Browns will start Deshaun Watson in Week 1 but predicts Shedeur Sanders will likely be the starting quarterback by Week 3. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/cf6258b2-b55f-4f50-84f9-24269a5a006a (scored 0) - Paul Keren on Teven Jenkins: Keren says Teven Jenkins still projects as Cleveland's Week 1 starting right guard despite a push from KT Leveston, and that Carson Schwesinger and Quincy Williams will be the Browns' lead linebackers. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/86b36112-724c-4f9c-a4fd-cf74a38be8e4 (scored 0) - Mike Moraitis on Ozzy Trapilo: Moraitis writes that although Braxton Jones has looked like the favorite, Ozzy Trapilo is likely to take over as the Bears' starting left tackle once he's healthy enough to play. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/cdfe5f0f-6783-4730-b9bb-d942e28b037a (scored 0) - Pete Martuneac on Ozzy Trapilo: After Trapilo's activation from the PUP list roughly seven months after rupturing his patellar tendon, Martuneac says the Bears' left tackle competition is over and Trapilo will be starting at left tackle early in the 2026 season, even if not by Week 1. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/d42f10ad-a71c-4ea9-95e8-2b53fde77971 (scored 0) ## More sleeper calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Matt Money Smith on Tre Harris: Smith says Ladd McConkie is a legitimate No. 1 receiver who could post a Jaylen Waddle-like season of roughly 1,700 yards and eight touchdowns, and he predicts second-year Chargers receiver Trey Harris will have a big year under Mike McDaniel. He also expects Philip Rivers to become an NFL head coach and thinks the Chargers offense will be good in the coming season. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/1f779ee4-78d9-4f01-a069-bcd0ef45fc72 (scored 0) - Brandon Carney on Javonte Williams: Carney predicted AJ Brown would not be back with the Eagles, forecast a wave of free-agent landing spots (Breece Hall to the Chiefs, Alec Pierce to the 49ers, Rico Dowdle to the Saints, George Pickens to the Patriots, Mike Evans to the Bills), and named Week 1 starting quarterbacks for several teams in flux. He also gave fantasy takes on Javonte Williams, Chris Olave and others. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/9337347d-fde9-46c9-9bb6-26ade467538b (scored 100) - Chad Ochocinco Johnson on Saquon Barkley: Johnson says the Steelers aren't legitimate Super Bowl contenders even with Aaron Rodgers back, and that Saquon Barkley can have a bounce-back season in year nine with the Eagles competing for a championship if the offensive line stays healthy. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/cd0eab3d-1392-41f3-a9b6-026860f9ffa5 (scored 0) - Ross Jackson on Devaughn Vele: Ross Jackson agreed to the same Saints mock draft board — Jeremiah Love at eight, Akeem Mesador in the second, Keonte Scott at 73, Keelan Rutledge and Ted Hurst in the fourth, Xavien Harris at 148, Aaron Anderson in the fifth and Bryce Boettcher in the sixth — and also called Devon Vellet a 2026 breakout candidate. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/b4c58f9f-23b8-4857-8505-17c213d3a342 (scored 0) - Greg Cosell on Omarion Hampton: Cosell expects the Nick Bonito vs. Will Campbell matchup to be pivotal, predicts Caleb Williams' future is bright, expects the Chargers' run game to improve dramatically under Mike McDaniel with a good season from Omarion Hampton, and expects Sean Payton not to hide Stidham. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/26c1330e-ee04-42a9-b29d-d6f0cc6bab6a (scored 0) - Andrew Erickson on Malik Nabers: Erickson gave his 2026 first-round board, leaning on running backs early with Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, Ja'Marr Chase as his WR1 and Christian McCaffrey slipping to 12. He also touted Malik Nabers as a buying opportunity, projected big touchdown numbers for Burrow and Chase, and called Barkley a buy-low. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/abd0628c-1338-467b-9ac3-d89c922468eb (scored 0) --- Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. The naive guess is what a strategy requiring no knowledge would have scored on the same call — the difference is the skill, and it is what the MissedTakes Score averages. Full method: https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/methodology We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. If this is wrong, tell us: https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/corrections?pundit=pat-fitzmaurice